Margot Robbie’s approach to fitness might surprise you.
There’s no extreme calorie restriction, no grueling six-hour gym sessions, and certainly no pressure to look a certain way.
In a recent interview with Women’s Health UK, her personal trainer David Higgins revealed exactly how the actress trains—and it’s refreshingly realistic.
What you’re about to discover is a workout philosophy centered on strength, consistency, and feeling good in your body.
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Training Without an Aesthetic Goal
When David Higgins began working with Margot ahead of Barbie, he wasn’t given a specific brief about how she should look.
She’s always had a very healthy approach to exercise. For her, it’s about nothing more than being strong and healthy, physically, and mentally.
David trained the entire Barbie cast for 12-15 weeks, focusing purely on keeping everyone fit and strong.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
No aesthetics. No body transformations. Just functional fitness.
I wasn’t briefed, I was there simply to keep the cast fit. There wasn’t an aesthetic goal.
This aligns perfectly with what Margot herself has said about Barbie representing diverse versions of beauty, not one narrow ideal.
The Workout Split: Strength Training Meets Reformer Pilates
David’s training philosophy combines two complementary modalities: strength training and reformer Pilates.
When Women’s Health UK Fitness Director Bridie Wilkins trained with David, she experienced firsthand what Margot does every session.
The Full Workout Breakdown
Warm-up:
- Foam rolling for 5 minutes
Strength Circuit (15 reps each, minimal rest):
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
- Supine chest press
- Bent-over row (right side)
- Bent-over row (left side)
- Standing bicep curl
- Seated shoulder press
- Supine skull crushers
100-Rep Ab Challenge:
- 20 crunches
- 20 toe taps (legs together)
- 20 toe taps (left side)
- 20 toe taps (right side)
- 20 toe taps (legs together)
- 20 curtsy lunges (right side)
- 20 curtsy lunges (left side)
Reformer Pilates (2 minutes per exercise):
- Wheelbarrow
- Plank hold
- Plank to pikes
- Plank hold
- Glute kickbacks (both sides)
- Leg circles
Why 15-20 Reps?
It gives me enough time to correct anyone who needs form alterations, while also fatiguing your muscles enough to create tiny tears in them, for them to eventually grow back stronger.
This rep range triggers sarcomeric hypertrophy—the process where muscle fibers are damaged during training, then repair themselves to become stronger and more resilient.
The Benefits of Combining Both Modalities
David brought reformer Pilates to the UK back in 2004, opening one of the first studios in the country.
His expertise in both disciplines creates a balanced approach to fitness.
Reformer Pilates keeps your mechanics working properly, to prevent injury and protect your joints, as it works all of your muscles unilaterally. Strength training bolsters that by making your compound muscle groups stronger.
Margot herself is a longtime reformer enthusiast, previously telling The Telegraph that Pilates suits her body best when she’s making a conscious effort to exercise.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
No Traditional Cardio Required
Here’s something interesting: Margot doesn’t do dedicated cardio workouts.
At least not intentionally.
During Barbie, the cast spent 2-4 hours daily in dance training, which provided all the cardiovascular conditioning they needed.
But David revealed something fascinating: strength training itself acts as “secret cardio.”
By doing a full-body workout, your heart has to work hard to redirect the blood to the correct part of your body as and when you work it—from your upper-body to your lower, for example.
This phenomenon is called the venous shunt effect.
Bridie experienced this firsthand—just 15 minutes into training with David, her heart rate skyrocketed despite not doing any traditional cardio.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Exercise Hacks for Maximum Cardiovascular Benefit
David employs specific techniques to amplify cardio benefits during strength work.
Take curtsy lunges, for example. Instead of holding dumbbells at your sides, David instructs clients to hold them at chest height by the head of each weight.
Whenever you have your arms positioned above your heart, it has to work harder to pump your blood upwards.
Small adjustments like this create significant increases in cardiovascular demand and challenge your stability simultaneously.
Core Strength Takes Center Stage
If there’s one area Margot prioritizes above all else, it’s core strength.
David incorporates core activation into nearly every exercise.
During supine skull crushers, he instructs clients to bring their legs into tabletop position—knees bent at 90 degrees, hips aligned with knees.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
This small modification forces constant core engagement and eliminates rib flaring, a common sign of inadequate core activation.
The Infamous 500-Rep Ab Challenge
Remember when Margot told ET she did 100 sit-ups daily to strengthen her core for I, Tonya?
For Barbie, she took things significantly further.
The 100-rep ab challenge featured in each workout is just the beginning—Margot would complete this circuit five times per session.
That’s 500 total reps of core-focused movements, including crunches and toe taps from various angles.
Bridie, a qualified yoga teacher and regular Pilates practitioner, found the challenge genuinely difficult—especially when David only revealed the 100-rep goal halfway through.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Margot’s Impressive Plank Hold
Core work doesn’t end with crunches.
David recently shared on Instagram that Margot can hold a plank for 4 minutes and 10 seconds.
During reformer Pilates sessions, plank variations feature prominently—performed on the reformer carriage, which requires additional stabilization to prevent the carriage from sliding.
After completing 100 crunches, Bridie managed just one minute before transitioning to plank-to-pike movements.
Consistency Trumps Intensity
David and Margot have worked together on and off for years.
Their Barbie training schedule lasted 12-15 weeks, with sessions happening five days weekly for 45-60 minutes each.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Margot and I have trained together on and off for years. Our Barbie schedule lasted around 12-15 weeks.
Research supports this approach—significant muscle growth only occurs after 6-10 weeks of persistent training.
Quick fixes fail. Sustainable routines deliver results.
And we’re not just talking aesthetic changes—Margot’s consistent training ensured she felt strong, capable, and confident throughout filming.
Nutrition Plays a Critical Role
David isn’t just a personal trainer—he’s also a qualified nutritionist.
He provided Margot and the entire Barbie cast with meal plans and nutritional guidance throughout their training period.
Exercise contributes to fitness, but it’s just one piece of a complex puzzle involving diet, sleep quality, stress management, age, biological sex, and genetics.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Flexible Scheduling Makes Training Sustainable
Margot’s previous training regimens have been extreme.
For Suicide Squad, her former trainer Andie Hecker told Insider they trained together for two to three hours daily, five days weekly.
The Barbie approach was far more realistic and sustainable.
We would train together five days a week, for 45-60 mins each time.
Training times varied based on Margot’s schedule—sometimes morning, sometimes afternoon.
We didn’t stick to certain times of the day. It was a matter of training whenever the cast was free.
Session duration also flexed according to availability.
If we could do an hour, we would. If we could only do half an hour, we’d do that. 45-60 minutes was ideal.
This flexibility is key to long-term adherence.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Perfect timing and duration matter far less than simply showing up consistently.
The Takeaway
After training with David, Bridie reported feeling energized but not depleted.
Her entire body—core, arms, glutes—felt thoroughly worked, but she wasn’t exhausted like after running.
Margot’s training philosophy centers on functional strength, core stability, and sustainable consistency rather than aesthetic transformation or punishing intensity.
She combines strength training with reformer Pilates, prioritizes core work (including those legendary 500 reps), and maintains a flexible schedule that adapts to her life.
Most importantly, she exercises to feel strong and healthy—not to achieve a specific look.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
It’s a refreshing reminder that sustainable fitness comes from honoring your body, not punishing it.
